days of gratitude: brothers

30 days of gratitudenotes from maggie's farm

"To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time."~ Clara Ortega

Today, I'm grateful for brothers.

Or, specifically, one brother. My twin brother, Tom.

My first birthday gift to him, today, is to call him Tom even though he will always be either Tommy, or Bub, to me. I figure I've known him only a second or two fewer than God has, so I claim that right. But he prefers Tom, now. So today, it's Tom.

photo courtesy of T.R. Ryan

Tommy Tom and I are as alike as, say, salt and pepper. Oil and water. Black and White. Night and Day. We're really not much alike. Thank heavens. Because either of us times two might be a bit much.

Tommy Tom is athletic, I am artistic. He is serious, I am silly. He is careful, responsible, steady, organized, and VERY tidy. I am, hahahahahaha, NONE OF THOSE. He is what anyone and everyone would ever want in a brother, son, husband and father. I am, hahahahahaha, oh I'm not THAT bad.

However, do not make the mistake of thinking we aren't thick as thieves. We are. We've known each other longer than anyone's known us; we moved neighborhoods, schools, cities, states together, and often, too. When we knew no one, we were each other's running buddy. We've made forts together, messes together, secret pacts together, excuses together, amends together, and more.

We've gotten in fights, and turned around to defend the other in the same hour. We've hidden the evidence more than a time or two. We've made sure the other one was okay on that scary first day at a new school, (when, by no means, were twins allowed in the same class). Not so's anyone would notice--just a quick checkup at lunch or in the hallway. And sometimes on that scary first day of a new job, a new marriage, a new world.

He was the first, most important guy in my world, and he's been there for me in ways only he knows. And my second birthday gift to him, because I know if he's reading this he's worried that I'm going to tell all the family secrets, or the story about that time when he shot me with the BB gun, is that..........